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The Olympic Marathon Trials - Patrick Rizzo

Published by
pjrizzo   Feb 16th 2016, 10:55pm
Comments

I have been hesitant to post my feedback for the LA organizing committee as some of those people are people I consider friends. I respect their work and the amount of time that goes into creating a championship experience for elite athletes. I also don't like to be overly negative in my assessments. Sorry ahead of time if anyone construes this as whining or angry; it's entirely based on 10 years of post-college racing experience and comparison to the previous two Olympic trials I've run.

From three months out I was asking my agent when we needed to be in LA. It was already time to start looking into hotels and flights and we didn't even get information on the date and time of the tech meeting that is mandatory attendance. That correspondence didn't get delivered to athletes or agents until 11 days before the race, with all deadlines mentioned (hotel, travel submission, etc.) already past. Even then the communications were vague.

Fluid declarations were closed before the qualifying window was over. I'm still VERY confused how you can close the window for declaring intent to use personal fluids on January 13 and still have people qualifying on January 17. Did USATF or the LA committee even think about this?

Fast forward to arrival in LA and “B” athletes staying at the hotel ($300+ per night, three night minimum) would have to pay $15 a person, each way, for a ride to and from the airport to the hotel. I've been fortunate enough to compete in three Olympic trials and have never witnessed something so nickel-and-diming unprofessional. Either offer the shuttle for the athletes or don't but to charge them for it after you selected such an expensive hotel is an insult to injury.

The hospitality suite was the most spartan setup I've ever seen in a hospitality at a race. I've been to 5k packet pickups that had more amenities. All that was in the suite (aside from USOC uniform check tables) was water, sparkling water, and Powerade. There were no snacks for people traveling into town, no meals provided, nothing that is actually very standard for races, let alone races of this caliber. I would be willing to bet that the Skechers LA Marathon suite even included snacks and hospitality!

We were asked to bring only bottles that included NO commercial advertizements for our personal fluids in order to be compliant with IOC Rule 50. After watching many athletes scrambling to be compliant with tape or bringing whatever they could find, we were provided with bottles that displayed “COKE” in about a 50 square cm size (non-compliant by governing rules). I was also forbidden from filing an appeal for rule violation on that account. I have the appeal still in my backpack, should someone want to see it.

The race occurred under “red flag” conditions. That indicates that conditions are extreme but the competition may go on, though requiring additional safety precautions by both organizers and participants. It was mentioned that a neutral aid station of water and Powerade would be added to the north end of the course. No such aid station was added. It was 5k-7k between aid stations that occurred with personal fluids directly followed by neutral fluids. For safety alone the organizers should have added neutral fluids near USC campus. *Also note for the record, USC's campus smelled like an uncleaned zoo.

Continuing the race, IF you were fortunate enough to finish, the finish line was indistinguishable. Jared Ward wasn't the only one who was confused to where the finish line really was. We crossed the finish area 5 times and I still couldn't recognize it because the posts were so far outside the course and there was not an overhead structure.

As we got through the finish area, we were handed a bottle of water and pushed back into the tent. Little did we know that this would be the last we see water until we get to a hotel! There was no water, Powerade, or food of any form in the finish area for athletes. There WAS, however, a catered, cooled tent for VIPs that athletes could be rudely kicked out of while USATF and USOC bigwigs wined and dined in our misery. Even a third rate race of 50 people has at least bananas and water cups accessible after the race. We weren't extended such a courtesy. We were given our warm up gear back and promptly pushed out of the anti-climatic finish area like cattle for slaughter.

 

It has also been reported that the runner tracking went down at about halfway through the race. Even local, low-budget races can get reliable runner tracking. How have we fallen so short in an Olympic trials race? Was this what we were supposed to be showcasing for the LA2024 bid?

All-in-all I have never felt so slighted at a championship race, or any race, in my 10 years of racing post-college. Los Angeles had a chance to really shine, outdo every criticism we may have had of the LOC leading into the race. They could have put on their big city pants and make big things happen. Instead we were the red-headed stepchildren of the weekend. It felt like we were a burden on them all weekend instead of being the show people wanted to see. After all of that we didn't even get a tee-shirt for qualifying and running in the Olympic trials.

I want to apologized FOR the LOC to all of the young athletes who just qualified for their first Olympic trials race and expected to be respected or at least treated with dignity. This ISN'T the norm and literally every other race you'll ever run will be better done with you in mind. You all deserve better!

18 comment(s)
amarin0
I was a non-factor in the USOT Marathon, and for the sake of the sport, I feel the need to piggyback off of Patrick Rizzo’s blog post just to give a little bit more from a participant’s angle.

My first Olympic Trials Marathon was in Houston in 2012-- I qualified via the half marathon and ended up having a decent performance in my first marathon. After arriving home from my first big experience in the road racing community, I reflected on Houston with even more love for the sport. I cannot put my finger on the specifics of why, but I remember feeling important, supported, and encouraged. I felt that as an athlete, I was everyone’s #1 priority.

Over the next couple years, my personal circumstances caused my life to transition from “running first” to “career first” and I became a full-time English teacher. I toned down my competitive participation and used running as an outlet.

For this OT, I was one of the last-minute qualifiers due to the time adjustments. A marathon I ran in the fall of 2013 got me in. Every day since I officially became a 2016 OT qualifier, I arrived home from school, laced up my sneakers, and logged anywhere from 10-15 miles in the icy darkness. I will admit-- I did not enjoy every minute. However, when I very first posed the possibility of not running the OT Marathon even though I had a qualifier, people told me I was crazy. I was between a rock and a hard place-- I was healthy, I had a base from racing half marathons in the fall, and I had a qualifier-- I sort of had an obligation to do it. With the decision made, I got myself into shape to at least run faster than the qualifier (2:45).

Let me first preface this with the fact that I am NOT whining here. I could have easily skipped the OT and chosen to run a marathon of MY choice on MY time, with the full knowledge that I would be covering all expenses, facing obstacles, etc etc. I am writing this because I was part of an exclusive event that people aspire to be a part of.

I am left with a bitter taste. Not at all about my result (a crawl to the finish in 3 hours and 11 minutes), but about the entire process before, during, and after the race. I stayed in an official “race hotel” that, considering LA’s HORRIBLE traffic, was located about an hour away from the race headquarters. I had first tried to get into the main hotel, but the rooms were sold out. I paid for that, a flight, a rental car, expensive airport food & water, expensive LA food, etc. I took two days off from work and prepared lesson plans. The day before the race, I paid for an entire new racing outfit since I left my other one at the hotel that was an hour away (my running club’s logo was TOO BIG anyway). I sat through a technical meeting in which the atmosphere was so tense, I felt like the room was going to snap. (maybe dedicate 5 minutes to a motivational speech or story? maybe I am too much of an idealist?) I justified everything by the fact that it was the Olympic Trials Marathon and that many people would do anything to qualify.

Total, I dished out about $1500 to run 26.2 miles around a repetitive curb and pothole-ridden course with only steaming hot fluids to drink-- fully accompanied by 5 days straight of heat-exhaustion-induced diarrhea. That is all I remember. Because, really, nothing else validated the hours of commitment and planning it took to get me to that starting line.

I did not have the ability to heat train or to visit the course weeks/months beforehand to prepare myself, so the lack of preparation is totally on me. However, I have a right to be bitter about the experience. I never once felt like a priority. I looked around the morning of the race, and just felt like we were all animals in a zoo. It eerily reminded me of a big conglomerate, and the only saving grace was the support and enthusiasm of the actual competitors themselves. There was no spirit like there was in Houston. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something very, very important was missing. I am so glad that others are voicing their concerns, because I thought maybe it was just me.

The point is not that I, personally, had a sub-par experience. I’m back to the daily grind, and it’s just another memory for me. The point is that, if I were 21 years old and I was just getting my feet wet in the marathon, and I had the physical potential to one day be an Amy or a Desi or a Shalane, I would need SOMETHING to show me that such an untraditional and difficult trajectory was worth taking. I would need someone to show me that there was a reason to be motivated to train my ass off and come back in four years with the potential of making the team. I would need to know that the risk would be worth taking, and that I would be respected for taking that risk.

The qualifying standard/window is a different conversation. The fact of the matter is, when an event such as the OT happens only once every 4 years, it sure as hell better be perfect for the competitors. Sure, you can get more people on board with the sport of running itself, but at the end of the day, you cannot do anything without the RUNNERS.
JYoung
It offered quite a contrast to the Houston Half, just a few weeks prior, hey? Houston was organized, efficient, and provided for the athletes. There's only a few runners in this sport who can make a living at it - and yet they dedicate their life to the sport. Traveling to LA and staying in an exceptionally expensive hotel, surrounded by expensive eateries that rival New York City prices for a turkey sandwich - over the course of 3 days and nights - is crazy. And if you want to have your family come and show support - well, you better break out that Capital One card and hope for the best. To add to this - if you wanted to go to the Post Race Party with your wife and child - well, get out that Capital One card again and be prepared to pay out hundreds to get them in the door. That's silly? Can we not have our family at the post race party without paying a few hundred bucks? As a side note, how does one get a hold of that fancy trials t-shirt, pants, jackets, hats, and probably underwear that the entire USATF crew was sporting? I don't really care, honestly, about getting stuff - but that seemed to spare no expense on their wardrobe when I couldn't bring my wife and 3 year old to the post race event to relax and enjoy time with the running community. That's sad. Now I have to explain to my kid that running is great sport and it's totally worth it - I mean, if you get a job at USATF. Actually running the race - well, better hope your chemist is top-notch and you've got plush Nike contract - or be prepared to max out that credit card or sit in the hotel drinking $10 domestic beer.
runningbob
Patrick, thank you for being honest in your experiences with not only LA, but also USATF. While our OT days are numbered ( 2012 was last), we have been involved in youth level track and field for many years. Most recently, we looked on the website for Landover, MD and it's indoor track which was supposed to host the USATF Regional Championships for VA and several other states. ON the sight, it indicated that the meet was canceled and that USATF decided it was in the best interest to allow all athletes who are interested in competing at the Youth National Championships im March, can just enter and show up! (with the exception of the host region (NY) and the northeast). We did not receive any notice from USATF, and if we didn't look on the Landover website, we would have taken the 4 hour drive only to show at an empty arena. What a way to make a National Championship extremely hollow in nature. Most of the athlete's in this region didn't even have ANY opportunity for indoor competition, but can appear on the starting line without any seed time and compete....what a mess this is going to be. I can see the "inflated" race times being sent in as I write that will create an unfair advantage of competition. Your plight goes well beyond the elite level of USATF!
Coachmr
Spot on Patrick! As a coach I either experienced or saw much of what you described. That being said there were also some positives. I will direct a letter to USATF expressing my opinion. Thanks for sharing.
mrwhana
Thank you Patrick for voicing what most of us actually experienced!! This was not only my first Olympic Trials but also my first USATF road race championship so I am relieved to hear that this is not the norm. While I am grateful to have finished, I will forever wonder if my post race hospital stay could have been avoided had more frequent fluid stations, and adequate medical staff/first responder capabilities been provided....
Syd B.
Hi Pat.
I don't know man, A roof over your head, water to drink, food to eat..no food?.Well 2 out 3 ain't bad. You think you have it bad, how about Paul MacCartney, Taylor Hawkins, and BECK! being told to scram when they tried to enter a post Grammys wing ding..............Anyway, my highest regards to you as an athlete and a credit to the whole sport. Did it occur to you that if your ran faster or were a political **, you too could have been in the VIP tent instead of out in the cold with the rest of us smucks? Yeah, I didn't think so.
On top of all this, I tried to tell my wife about you and your very articulate, possibly career ending diatribe and what does she say...? "What a babe. I would have taken care of him at the finish line."

Best Wishes,

Rick Andrews
Pray for surf
My daughter ran so we sat at the bleachers next to the announcer's stand. (By the way, I thought Whit, the announcer, did a great job) Yeah, start and finish line being not the same is very unusual. I saw many runners mistaking the start line for the finish. What if Jared Ward was passed by another runner at that point and got fourth? And another thing.........I and many other spectators were relying on the running clock at the start, being too far from the finish line. There was only the men's time there. I was adding 16 minutes to guestimate the women's time. But as soon as most of the men finished, the clock stopped running. Times were slow because of the heat, but if the temperature was ideal and a record was challenged or broken, I hope Whit would have made us aware of the situation.

Any one know how much NBC paid the USATF, or whoever, for broadcast rights?
washgirl
Hi was at finish line handing out powerade in the bottles and water. We had two tables of fluids and we were walking around with cases of water and powerade offering more. The runners had fruit and salty snacks available to them. How hard is a finish line to see banner above head. Male clock one side female on the other. Medals were handed out
nbskis
you think these men and women care about finisher's medals?
caityphillips
thanks for writing this! knowing for 2 weeks it was going to be a hot day, was shocked that water/ cooling stations were not added. I also got the impression at technical meeting that they were adding more fluid points along course rather than adding plastic bottles of water and powerade to already existing fluid stations. each station felt like a desert oasis at 3 miles apart...and second half of race fluids were HOT.
nbskis
you think these men and women care about finisher's medals?
nbskis
wrong comment sorry!
RockCityRunClub323
Not cool, would love to hear a response from race officials
Tom23flight
Sounds like they totally dropped the ball in this one. Much like Chicago did back in 2007 during that marathon. Such a shame for the athletes that trained so hard to represent our country.
sunny1682
So embarrassing and below expectations! I wonder if they just didn't realize the opportunity to shine and the importance of this race!? I watched on tv and was also confused about the finish line. I'm so sorry about your experience. Congrats on getting there!
Hmora
We watched an athlete collapse on the course, less than 400m from the start/finish line. We were mortified how long it took for help to arrive. Police were there, standing around, but without any medical equipment or the ability to get him to a safer place. I was about to call 911, thinking that would get someone there faster. Finally, a cart came and picked him up, but signficiant time had passed. How did they not have a better plan in place for a runner collapsing?
Coach Anthony
That was quite an eye-opener and, my God, I'm speechless regarding the lack of caring demonstrated by our USATF. From the lack of amenities to making the "B" athletes pay to get from the airport, absolutely pathetic.

However, given we have a part-time CEO, we should not be surprised by this shoddy treatment.
Coach Anthony
That was quite an eye-opener and, my God, I'm speechless regarding the lack of caring demonstrated by our USATF. From the lack of amenities to making the "B" athletes pay to get from the airport, absolutely pathetic.

However, given we have a part-time CEO, we should not be surprised by this shoddy treatment.
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